Perfect
by Lil Rose Angel
Summary: Joe is being more distant than ever before, and Francoise can't imagine why. Her heart is breaking, but she's in for a real surprise.... 009003, one-shot. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, VANESSA!


Hiya! Long time no see, everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been updating, but I can't seem to think of anything good to write anymore. It also seems that I don't have that particular inspiration that I need to continue my stories anymore...I'm definitely going to finish both of mine, and maybe write a sequel to Unknown Powers, but it'll take a while. I'm sorry to everyone who wants to read it!!! I'm a bad girl...  
  
This one-shot is dedicated to Vanessa, the first friend that I ever made online, as a birthday present of sorts. You're one of the best friends that I've ever made and I'll try to be deserving of such a great friend like you, so I thought that this might be just the thing. ^_^ I'm just kidding, but not about the deserving part. You're such a great writer, no matter how much you deny it and I'm sure you'll be a wonderful author someday, with works magnificent enough to rival J. K. Rowlings "Harry Potter". Forgive me if my punctuation is off target, but I am just a measly, naïve child unlike someone I know, someone who's wise beyond her years...*coughVanessacough*. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I hope you like this!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN CYBORG 009 FOR GODS SAKE!!!! I wish I did, though... So don't sue me! Please? How many times do I have to say this annoying phrase??? It's a real put-down, and my health teacher says that put-downs are bad... BAD DISCLAIMER!!! Sorry, I'm really high on chocolate right now.  
  
Title: Perfect  
  
By: Lil Rose Angel (Who else?)  
  
It was a tranquil summer morning. The sun was peeking out from the mountains, rising slowly, as if debating with itself whether or not to come out at all. Birds if all sorts awoke, and started the morning symphony. The ocean was splashing gently on the jagged rocks, beneath a quaint little house on the coastline in Japan. In Dr. Gilmore's home, (A/N: I know, probably some of you people think that it's Dr. Kazumi's [Did I spell his name right?] but in "(THE) STORY OF A STRUGGLING RESTURANT", Dr. Gilmore invites Dr. Kazumi to his home because his own house was destroyed by 0012) the rays of sunlight fell upon the face of a lovely young woman, nudging her awake. Now, Françoise was not a morning person, but found it hard to be grumpy when she looked out the window, at the peaceful ocean scenery. It immediately cheered her up and she leapt out of bed and danced around the room, picking up her clothes as she went.  
  
She glanced at the clock on her bed stand and was surprised that she, out of all people had woken up so early. The French dancer decided to surprise everyone with breakfast, so she tiptoed downstairs, careful to not wake anyone. As she made an extra large meal for her teammates, the smell of pancakes drew her bleary-eyed comrades downstairs. The first one to arrive was the Japanese leader of the 00 cyborg team Joe, or as Black Ghost has named him, 009. He smiled tiredly at his beautiful ballerina and kissed her.  
  
"Morning, koishii. Wow, Françoise. That smells wonderful! I'm starving!" She laughed and replied,  
  
"Well you're up early! Usually I would have to go and wake you up before lunch, sleepyhead!" She smiled affectionately at her boyfriend and served him a stack of pancakes, still steaming. He sat down and proceeded to add liberal amounts of syrup to his stack. Françoise surveyed him while he was eating, and remarked thoughtfully,  
  
"Joe, I've been thinking. We haven't been spending a lot of time together so, what do you say to a little stroll after breakfast? It's wonderful outside, and we could use a little fresh air."  
  
"Ah, sorry Françoise. I'm afraid I'll have to decline. I'm kinda busy today. Maybe tomorrow?" He looked at his girlfriend apologetically.  
  
"Sure, tomorrow would be great also!" She replied, forcing a smile, but she couldn't ignore the disappointment that filled her heart.  
  
He devoured his pancakes quickly, and after wiping his mouth, kissed her again and murmured a quick good-bye. Françoise sat down heavily on the chair that Joe had occupied before his hasty departure. He had been like this for a week now. Before, when they first realized their feelings for each other, he had never left her side and gave her his utmost attention and care. He was always attentive to her needs and Joe had made sure that she was happy, above anything else. Everything had been going so wonderfully, she couldn't think of anything that might have provoked him so start acting this way. She sighed.  
  
'Maybe I haven't been a good enough girlfriend. I've tried very hard to be fun and interesting, to be good enough and deserving of a great boyfriend like him, but he doesn't seem to be as happy as I am. Perhaps I'm just not trying hard enough...' She sighed again, dejected. Before long, the others started drifting downstairs, so she tried to act cheerful as always. Still, she couldn't get that empty feeling out of her heart.  
  
Evening found the beautiful French ballerina gazing at the sea with her aquatic eyes. The sea seemed so peaceful to her, yet she knew that it could be powerful enough to destroy a whole fleet of ships. She was so mesmerized by the soothing back-and-forth motions of the water that she didn't notice Joe coming up behind her, even with her amplified hearing. He put his arms around her waist and murmured into her ear,  
  
"It's so beautiful out here, isn't it?" She turned her head to face him and relaxed into his grip. Joe noticed a blank look in his girlfriends' aqua eyes, like she was trying to hide something, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering what made you come back so early from 'work'." Joe looked deeper into her face, trying to distinguish if she was sincere or just teasing him.  
  
"What do you mean...?" Suddenly, she turned around and a slightly accusing look came into her normally serene eyes.  
  
"Well, you've been doing this for a week now. You've been hurrying off to do something in the morning, and coming back late at night. What's going on? We never have any time for each other anymore!" After this outburst, she looked down, and her narrow shoulders slumped unhappily.  
  
"I'm sorry, Joe. I didn't mean to sound so selfish, but this is serious. Is it something I did? Or something that I should've done?" The tall Japanese cyborg took the ballerina's chin and tilted it up gently.  
  
"Listen to me, Françoise. You're the most selfless, and the most perfect person I know. There's nothing wrong with you. You know I would tell you, but this is just something I have to deal with myself. I'm sorry..." She smiled sadly and buried her head in his chest for a moment, before looking up at him.  
  
"You know you can always count on me, if you want someone to confide in, Luv."  
  
"I know, koishii. I know." With that, he leaned down and captured her lips with his, savoring her sweetness as the sun set.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The next week passed fairly quickly for Françoise, and Joe was being more scarce and distant than ever before. She missed her loving, caring boyfriend and wondered what had brought about this sudden change. The whole 00 cyborg team seemed to be busy and she was often left alone in the house with 001. She spent more and more time alone, often confiding in 001 about her worries and about Joe. The baby tried to help as much as he could, but it just wasn't enough. Françoise felt as if the rest of the team was keeping something from her, a secret they thought she didn't deserve to know about. When she tried to ask any of them about it, they would just brush it off as 'nothing', or just change the subject. Even Dr. Gilmore seemed to be avoiding her.  
  
One early morning, Françoise was rudely awakened when the curtains were dragged open and let the sunlight pour in. When she turned to see who had woken her up in such an ungodly hour, she saw Joe, dressed in his traditional white shirt and blue vest, grinning down at her.  
  
"Good morning, Françoise!" He sang in an irritatingly cheerful tone  
  
"It's a great day outside! A perfect day for a stroll, you wanted so what do you say?" Françoise just gaped at him. She couldn't believe that this was the same Joe that was avoiding her the week before. Nevertheless, she liked the change in attitude in her boyfriend and teased,  
  
"What makes you think that I still want to go on that stroll? After all, I suggested it a week ago! I'm surprised you even remembered me!" Joe only grinned in response, threw off her covers, and swept her off the bed in her nightdress, carrying her to the closet. Françoise let out a little shriek and said indignantly,  
  
"Joe, you should know better than to try to win a girls heart with these antics! Now set me down before I make you!" She squirmed in his arms, but the only reaction she got was an even wider grin as the Japanese cyborg began bouncing her up and down in his grip. She didn't pretend she didn't enjoy this simple act of affection; Joe didn't do many things like this often anymore.  
  
"Aw, c'mon Françoise! We haven't been spending a lot of time together because of me, I admit; so let me make it up to you!" He set her down, and enveloped her in a crushing embrace, then leaned down to caress her tender lips. Her heart soared; she had forgotten how wonderful he tasted. Warmth flooded her body, making her fingertips tingle. They held each other for a few moments, lips still locked. He released her, only because they had to come up for breath and they stared at each other. Françoise blinked dumbly.  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Yeah, wow."  
  
"We haven't done that in, well, who knows how long."  
  
"Yeah, you should get dressed (A/N: That sounds as if she's not dressed at all...*shudders* that just sounds plain, old wrong! Just to set things right, she IS dressed in her nightgown.). I'll be waiting downstairs, ok?" Joe kissed her on the cheek, lips lingering on the silky softness of her skin before going downstairs and closing the door behind him. She sighed happily. It felt so good to kiss him like that again. Françoise reached into her closet, pulled out a spaghetti-strap sundress with little Forget- Me-Nots scattered around the lavender fabric, white loafers, pulled them on, and left hurriedly. The sundress was just her size, and hugged her frame nicely, accenting all the right parts. She was taken aback when she found the whole team including Dr. Gilmore waiting for her downstairs. As she descended the stairs, she was greeted with a series of whistles and raised eyebrows as well as,  
  
"Françoise..." Joe blushed fiery red, but stared, transfixed at the beautiful dancer.  
  
"003, great outfit!" Approved 008.  
  
"Shouldn't you be wearing something a little more modest?" Asked a half scandalized, half proud Dr. Gilmore.  
  
"Wow, you've got a great figure!" From an amazed 002, earning a dark scowl from Joe, who had just snapped out of his trance.  
  
"I shall recite a sonnet in your honor, fair lady!" 007 got down on his knee, reaching up to Françoise as if proposing to her.  
  
"That's enough, lover boy. You'll really attract attention, 003(A/N: BTW, that's a good thing!) " 004 dragged the Englishman off the floor and 005 pulled up a chair for 003. Françoise sat down, a little bewildered at every ones' mood change from the week before. 006 set a plate of steaming waffles before her and said,  
  
"Eat hearty!" Every one was looking at her expectantly so Françoise, a little perturbed, ate a couple of bites, and stopped.  
  
"Sorry, everyone, but I'm really not hungry right now. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have an appetite." She looked around at the smiling faces apologetically. Much to her surprise, their grins widened and rushed her off again. 006 handed Joe a picnic basket, and the pair were pushed out the door by the rest of the team.  
  
"We'll see you two later!"  
  
"Have a nice picnic!"  
  
"Be back at night!"  
  
"Yeah, try to get too caught up! We want you here before bedtime, ya hear?" 002 was promptly bludgeoned by 004, and Dr. Gilmore hissed in his ear,  
  
"DON'T give them any ideas!" Of course, Françoise overhead this, and blushed a light pink. Joe glared daggers at 002, and accelerated to the beach with Françoise in his arms. But before he did, he made sure that 002 would have to wash his hair very thoroughly tonight, to get the grime out. When they got to the beach, they shared a good laugh at 002's expense, and began to stool leisurely along the coastline. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, 003 broke the ice.  
  
"Alright, Joe? I want to know what's been going on. The whole team's been avoiding me the last week, especially you. I thought you trusted me..."She broke off, looking away into the ocean.  
  
"Françoise, of course I trust you! I guess I owe you a huge explanation. Where to begin..." She turned back to him, her face politely questioning, and patient, waiting for him to start.  
  
"Well, you know that I was accused of murdering the Father?" Françoise nodded slowly, not comprehending why he was saying this. He took a deep breath, and let it out,  
  
"Last week, it was a year ago that the Father was killed." Her hand flew up to her mouth in shock, while processing the information.  
  
'No wonder he was so withdrawn. I know the Father meant more to Joe than anything else...it must have been hard, having to deal with it all over again, alone. I'm his girlfriend! I was supposed to help him in his time of need, but I was so selfish, and thought only of myself. How could I?!? What kind of monster am I?' Her heart ached with pain for him, and fought to keep her tears in. After taking a few shaky breaths, Joe turned to her, his own cinnamon eyes filled with tears and deep sorrow.  
  
"He was the only one who took care of me! He took me in when my mother died, and my father abandoned us! It's not fair!" He cried out in anguish.  
  
"He taught me everything, and was as patient as any real father would be. He took care of so many orphans like me, and we repaid him like that! I should've been there to protect him! He shouldn't have died!!!" By now, Joe had stopped walking, his broad shoulders were shaking visibly, and hot tears were dropping down into the sand. Françoise turned to him; her face contorted with sorrow, and held him tight.  
  
"He didn't do anything wrong, Françoise! He was the best father, in both the parent, and priest, ever! He just wanted the best for his children, and wanted to protect them! He didn't deserve to die..." The Japanese cyborg shuddered, warm rivers of tears making their way down his tanned cheeks. Françoise nodded, and the dam of her tears broke, unable to hold them back for any longer. Tears gushed out while she struggled to speak.  
  
"I know, don't worry, Joe. It'll be O.K. The Father was a kind, and wonderful man. He was one of the few pure souls around, and, no, he didn't deserve to die. He just had the misfortune of meeting Black Ghost. We'll get revenge for the Father, and all the other innocent people who died at the hands of that evil organization by destroying him. We're the only ones who can..." Joe convulsed (A/N: Does that make any sense whatsoever?) once more and drew away from Françoise. He rubbed away his tears, then smiled appreciatively at the attractive girl he held in his arms. He wiped her tears away with a gentle hand, tracing the contours of her face as he did it.  
  
"Thank you, Francoise. I'm truly sorry about what happened (A/N: Doesn't that sound familiar, Vanessa?) but I just had to deal with it myself. It'll be a lot easier next time, because I know you'll be there for me. Thank you."  
  
"You shouldn't be thanking me, Joe. I didn't do anything for you."  
  
"No, you've done more for me than you can imagine. You've helped me by standing by me, and supporting me whenever I need you. Now let's not let this ruin our picnic! That looks like a good spot." Joe pointed to an area near the ocean, secluded from the rest of the beach by a couple of rocks.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The rest of the afternoon was spent laughing and joking with each other, occasionally talking about their pasts, but overall, keeping the mood cheerful. They stayed outside for the remainder of the day, basking in each other's company, having fun with not a care in the world. Night fell soon enough, so they headed home, to disprove any rumors that 002 might be spreading about them. When they reached the house, Françoise was surprised when Joe turned her around, and blindfolded her, telling her,  
  
"Françoise, don't worry. You'll understand this soon." The French girl relaxed, knowing that Joe would never let anything happen to her. He led her up the stair carefully, and through the threshold. Even with her improved hearing, all she could hear were the crickets outside, and the silence that dominated the house. He led her to the dining room, and took the blindfold off. She was greeted with complete darkness and silence, then, the lights flicked on and,  
  
"JOYEUX ANNIVERSAIRE, FRANÇOISE!!!" The team jumped out of their hiding spots, yelling a happy birthday to the French cyborg in her own language, with the master of disguise, 007 changing back from a chair. Françoise was quite taken aback by this sudden surprise and was thoroughly delighted. The lights revealed that the dining room was completely covered in balloons and streamers. A pyramid of gifts wrapped in all sorts of bright colors and patterns were piled on the table, which was covered in a pink cloth. An arrangement of objects resided in a corner, covered in a similar pink cloth. Her porcelain features were shining with joy, as she gazed upon all the decorations and her beaming teammates.  
  
"Oh, wow. You shouldn't have...(A/N: Yes, I know it's cliché, but I think that that's what Françoise would say!) Thank you so much!" With that, she flung herself at every single member of the team, grasping each in a ferocious hug, a hug that one wouldn't expect from a girl with her stature. At last, she turned to face everyone, and said,  
  
"Is this why you were all avoiding me?" The others looked surprised.  
  
"We didn't think you'd notice." 004 admitted finally.  
  
::Of course she noticed, Black Ghost improved her senses, and even if she wasn't turned into a cyborg, you were being so OBVIOUS!!!:: 001 reprimanded the male cyborgs and Dr. Gilmore in their minds. It was rather funny, seeing their expressions when a baby was scolding them as if they were toddlers themselves. Françoise burst out laughing, and after a while, everyone else joined in.  
  
"Come on, 003. Let's have some cake. 006 made it, so it must be tasty, and I've been looking forward to this for over a week now!" Dr. Gilmore showed Françoise a large, three-layer cake decorated with pink icing and small roses on the sides. On the crown of the cake, the words,  
  
"Joyeux Anniversaire, Françoise!" were traced in pink icing also, and small, intricate ballet dancers were scattered around it. She gasped, looking over the cake, and wondering how much work 006 put into making such a gorgeous cake, by hand!  
  
"It's beautiful! Thank you so much, 006!" No one noticed that there weren't any candles on the top, and if anyone did, they didn't comment on it. No one really knew how finicky 003 really was with her age, but if she was as picky as the women they knew were, and someone commented on it, they wouldn't live until their own birthday. The cake was soon cut, and eaten. It was amazing that a food fight didn't break out, although there was a small quarrel between 006 and 007 about the color of the icing. Everyone agreed that the cake was heavenly, and they eagerly went back for seconds (Well, in 002's case, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, and even sevenths!).  
  
The gifts were soon opened, and Françoise was thrilled with each one (A/N: I'm not going to list them, because they take too long and no one ever reads or remembers them. So it would be a waste of both my time and yours. I would be listing, and listing, plus, it would all be very cliché.). Even though her gifts enthralled her, Françoise couldn't help but notice that Joe hadn't given her anything. She didn't notice her boyfriend fingering his right pocket nervously, or the lump that protruded from the pocket. As the excitement over her presents subsided, and the team were off talking and laughing (Or in 002's case, eating) Joe took hold of her arm, and whispered in her ear,  
  
"Here, I want to show you something. Don't worry; I'll make sure that 002 doesn't have enough proof to share his corrupt ideas with anyone. It'll be quick." He led her out of the house, and through the forest. He winded in and out of the trees, carefully parting the underbrush so it wouldn't scratch her delicate legs, revealed by the sundress, until they reached a seemingly secret clearing. Françoise gasped when she saw it. It was a sight to behold. In the middle of the clearing, there was a clear, blue pond, with dozens and dozens of water lilies floating upon it. Small bushes were scattered around the land, with small forest animals scurrying here and there, unaware of the two intruders. Birds were flying overhead, singing and chirping in a delightful, harmonious chorus. The scene was so stunning, so perfect, it seemed as if fairies had fashioned this place, it was so magical.  
  
"It's beautiful! Joe, how did you manage to find this???" Her aquamarine eyes were sparkling with joy and amazement as she gazed at the beautiful scenery.  
  
"Well, I was looking for the perfect spot to give you your birthday present."  
  
"Joe, finding this miraculous place is more than enough." Françoise breathed, and stepped timidly, into the middle of the clearing, afraid to disturb the animals. Joe followed her, remarking,  
  
"It's amazing that nature managed to preserve something like this after mankind came into existence, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, yes it is..." Françoise looked high into the canopy of the leafy trees and, with her vision, at the multi-colored birds and small animals that lived in the trees. A few does and fawns wandered into the clearing, and dipped their muzzles (A/N: Is that what you call them?) into the clear water for a drink. The pair watched them until they went back into the woods, giving no sign that they knew that they were being observed.  
  
"Françoise, I think it's high time I gave you your birthday present from me." He kneeled down on one knee, and took a small black box from his right pocket. He opened it and revealed the treasure inside. It was a beautiful ring, with a bright blue sapphire set in the middle. On the sides were small diamonds, set in gold. Françoise's eyes widened at the masterpiece, her mind just comprehending what this might mean.  
  
"Françoise Arnoul, will you marry me?" Although Françoise had expected this, she still was surprised beyond belief, but she didn't hesitate in replying.  
  
"Joe Shimamura, I would be honored to. I accept your proposal." Joe slipped the ring on her fourth finger, and with that, they were engaged! He stood, entranced by the girl in front of him. Her eyes were sparkling with joy and excitement; her golden curls were cheerful and buoyant as well. She was a perfect angel in his eyes, and soon, he drew her in for a kiss. As his lips touched her velvety ones, a fire erupted in both hearts that could only be rivaled by the others'. He caressed her tender lips gently, with a kiss full of love. His hands traveled to hug her hips, and one sneaked up to her neck. Joe hugged her tightly, and pressed against her harder, with more passion. She, in turn, grasped his neck and pushed upwards, deepening the kiss. Nothing had felt more right than this. It was heaven, for both of them, and it stayed that way until they were out of breath. Both drew back, panting slightly from the loss of oxygen, and Joe declared,  
  
"Françoise, there isn't anyone else in the world more right for me than you are. I swear I won't let anything happen to you ever again." He grinned as he looked down at her amused countenance.  
  
"What I'm trying to say is, I love you, koishii." When she remained silent, with a confused expression on her face, he continued,  
  
"Françoise, you're supposed to say, 'I love you too, itoshii.'"  
  
"Yes, I was getting to that. I just wasn't sure how to pronounce it. I love you too, itoshii."  
  
"I know you do." Françoise smacked him lightly on the arm for getting cocky, trying to look stern, but failing miserably. Joe kissed her again and questioned,  
  
"You know what this day has been?"  
  
"Yes. Perfect."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Well, how'd you like it? It's the longest one-shot I've ever written, 10 pages!!! I hope you liked it, Vanessa. After all, it's your birthday present! I know it's probably not up to your standards, but I tried! Ok, the reason I didn't add the little "French" part of the French kiss, is because I've never experienced one. Heck, I haven't even experienced a kiss before, so this is totally out of imagination. ^_^ Please tell me what I got wrong? I need to improve on my romance writing!!! Also, can you tell me in your review if I wrote too much? I know this might seem really little to some of you other writers, but I asked some of my friends from school to beta this (Who know nothing about Cyborg 009 and are just being good friends) and when I told them how long it was, they were like,  
  
"No way am I going to read something that long!" Then, I remembered something my English teacher told me. To write stories,  
  
"Short, sweet, and to the point." Well, I'm pretty sure I went around the block to get next-door here. Oh, and while I'm on the topic of people beta- ing stories, I wonder who was supposed to beta this story...*coughJENcough* Well, at least I didn't get it before Saturday. It's ok; I'm not blaming you or anything. Well, maybe I am...LOL, just kidding! I would never blame you! You, Daisy and Vanessa are some of the best friends a girl could have!!! Angela (May I call you that?) is as well, but I don't think I'm good enough to be called your friend. Even though I've only talked with you once, I've received your reviews, and I think you're really nice and a wonderful person.  
  
Ok, enough of me talking. I'm getting tired of typing, anyway. Please review! Be honest! Tell me if this one-shot totally sucks or not! REVIEW!!!! Thank you! Until next time! See ya! 


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